2026 Schedule Update | British number one Jack Draper set for return to Queen's as Jessica Pegula announced to make debut

Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula are the latest big names to join the already stacked field to compete in the 2026 Queen's Club Championship. The event is set to take place 6th-21st June.

The US Open mixed doubles semi-finalists both announced their intention for glory in London, with the season by then heading for a collision course with Wimbledon. Queen's has been a popular event for many players to start ramping up their preparation for the prestigious Grand Slam event.

Draper and Pegula are not the first star names to announce this, with Carlos Alcaraz and Amanda Anisimova set to return after the pair endured mixed results in the 2025 final. While an ominous Alcaraz sprinted to victory against Czech number one Jiri Lehecka, Anisimova was defeated by qualifier Tatjana Maria in a shock result which announced the return of women's tennis to Queen's.

In 2024, Draper announced himself to the word after defeating Alcaraz in straight sets to advance into the quarter-finals. While he exited a round later, the talent was there for all to see. A year on from that he made the extra step by reaching the semi-finals. A rematch against the Spaniard in the final was the dream for the eagerly anticipated British fans but he was unable to make past Lehecka in a tight matchup. This memory still lives fresh in the mind of the British number one who has only played in two events since - Wimbledon and the US Open ahead of a period on the sidelines due to a bruised humerus.

"I'm really looking forward to being back - I played some really good tennis this year and it's one of my favourite tournaments being in front of a home crowd, I just love the atmosphere," Draper said. "I've got a picture of me next to the trophy when I'm a kid and I'm just about taller than the trophy so hopefully one day I'll get to lift that up."

The 23-year-old picked up his maiden Tour victory at Queens, defeating the current world number two Jannik Sinner. His cv at the tournament is very impressive, matching his lofty ambitions about finally lifting the trophy high above his head. Confirming that Queen's is his home event, Draper is more than motivated to pick up a result. "Queen's is one of the tournaments I want to win the most because it's my home tournament, a beautiful place and making the semi-finals this year, I just came up short so next year I'll be really motivated to come back and go a couple of steps further," he said.

There has just been one women's event taken place at Queen's since 1974, with it predominantly being centred around the ATP. That event came last year in the return of women's tennis to Queen's. Participants such as Elena Rybakina, Madison Keys and the number one seed Zheng Qinwen played in the competition. This year, Pegula will be joining the crop of top players in London as she eyes up glory.

Instead of competing at Queen's this year, the American was dominating in the Bad Homburg Open. She clinched her third title of the year against a resurging Iga Swiatek. This grass form will make her one to watch in the 2026 edition of Queen's.

"I’m really looking forward to playing the HSBC Championships at The Queen’s Club," Pegula said. "I’ve heard great things from other players about the setup, the atmosphere, and the history there, so it’ll be fun to experience it for myself.”